You are here

Freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (MCL 15.231 et. seq.) regulates and sets requirements for the disclosure of public records by public bodies within the state of Michigan. MCL 15.232(e) defines a public record as a writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body in the performance of an official function, from the time it is created. MCL 15.232(h) defines a writing as handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, photocopying, and every other means of recording, and includes letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combinations thereof, and papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films or prints, microfilm, microfiche, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, or other means of recording or retaining meaningful content. In general, all public records that are not exempt from disclosure under MCL 28.243 are subject to disclosure under the FOIA.

Make a Request

Depending on the type of information you wish to obtain, there are a variety of ways to make your request. If you are looking for a criminal history record, you can obtain one using the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) or by choosing one of the methods below. If you want to obtain a traffic crash report, you can obtain one using the Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS) or by choosing one of the methods below. For all other requests, including incident reports, photos, and videos, please choose one of the methods below:

Mail Us:
Mail your request to:
Michigan State Police, Freedom of Information Unit
PO Box 30634
Lansing, MI 48909
You can use the Request for Public Records Form as a template for your request, but it is not required.

Fees and Payment

Traffic crash reports and criminal history records are $10.00 each.

The fee for incident reports, photos, videos, and other public records varies based on the number of pages, type of information requested, review and retrieval time, etc. For more information regarding the fees for public records, see the Department's FOIA Procedures and Guidelines or the Department's FOIA Written Public Summary.

We cannot give estimates of cost over the phone.

Fees can be paid using our online payment center (which includes a $2.00 processing fee) or you can mail a check or money order (payable to the STATE OF MICHIGAN) to P.O. Box 30266, Lansing, MI 48909. To ensure proper credit, please include your CR Number (available on the FOIA letter) with your payment, or a copy of the fee letter.